Rat or animal trap



J. FHITSCH. RAT 0R ANIMAL mAP. APPLICATION FILED AUG.25, 1920.

1,392,008. Panwdsepf; 21,1921.

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1. FRITSCH.

RAT 0R ANIMAL TRAP.

APPLICATloN FILED Aue. 25. 1920.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH FRITSCH, OF SEDRO WOOLLEY, WASHINGTON.

RAT OR ANIMAL TRAP.

` Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 27, 1921i.

Application filed August 25, 1920. Serial No. 405,831.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOSEPH Fnirsoina citizen of the United States, residing at Sedro Woolley, in the county of Skagit and State of Washington, have invented a new and useful Rat or Animal Trap, of which the following is a specification.

. vide novel means for disposing of the animal after the animal has left the main casing portion of the trap. U

It is within the province of the disclosure -to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the invention appertains.

With the above and other objectsin View, which will appear'as the description proceeds, the inventionresides in the combina tion andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction Vhereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that, within the ,scope'of what is claimed, changes in the precise embodiment of the invention shown can be made without-departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings zn Figure 1 shows in longitudinal' section, a' trap constructed iny accordance with the in vention, Vparts being broken away, the `trap being shown in solid lines as they will ap-A offFig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a cross section taken approximately on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

pear after the animal has worked a lowering of the entrance doors, and before the animal has proceeded through the trap; Fig. 3 is a section taken approximately on the line 3 3 The numeral ldenotes an-elongatedfboxlike casing provided at one end with. an entrance opening 2, vand equipped at its side,

and at its opposite end with an exit opening 3. There isa slot 4 in the top of the casing l- 1, wherein 'slides vertically, a door 5 controlling the entrance opening The numeral 6 marks a trigger adapted to engage beneath the door 5 when the latter is eleyated as shown in Fig. 1, the trigger 6 being supplied at its rear end with an eye 7, and being provided intermediate its ends with an upstanding arm 8 connected with a vtransverse pivot member 9 mounted to rotate in the sides of the casing 1.

kA first platform 10, located relatively near to the opening 2, is pivotally supported intermediate its ends, as Vshown at 11, on the sides of the casing 1. Downward swinging movement of the rear end of the platform 10 is limited by a stop 12 on the bottom of the casing 1. Intermediate its ends, the first platform 10 is provided with a standard 14 having a transverse finger 15 projecting Within the eye 7 ofthe trigger 6.

second platform 16 is located` to the rear of the first platform 10 and is pivotally supported intermediate its ends, as shown at 17 on the sides of the casing 1. The second platform 16 is of angular form, including an upwardly extended rear end as clearly shown-in Fig. 1. The forward end of the lsecond platform 16 may be counterweighted as indicated at 18, so as to' cause the forward end of the carried by the bottom of the casing 1, the stop 19 being prolonged rearwardly and being upwardly extended to form a guard 20,

located beneath the upwardly inclined rear end: of the platform 16, and constituting means for preventing animals from finding their way beneath the platform 16, when the platform is tilted.

The numeral 21 denotes a third platform located t0 the rear of the second platform 16 Y Y.and extended beneath the platform 16. The being set; Fig. 2 is a similar view, the parts third platform 21 is pivotally supported, as indicatedat 22, adjacent to its forwardend, on the side walls of the casing 1. A lever l23 is located above the casing 21 and is fulelement 29f-forms afconnection between the platform to rest on a stop 19 upper endof Athe door 5 and an extension 30 mounted on the forward end of the lever 23. A baffle 23 is secured to the rear end wall of the casing 1 and arches over the rear end of the platform 21. The operation of the structure as thus far described is as follows The weight of the eye 7 causes the trigger 6 to swing forwardly, until the triggerY engages beneath the door, 5, as shown in Fig. 1, in order to hold the door elevated. An animal enters the casing 1 by way ofthe opening 2 and treads on the first platform 10, the rear end thereof being depressed. rlhe finger 15 on the standard 14 of the platform 10, coperating with the eye 7, retracts the trigger 6, as shown in Fig. 2, the trigger being withdrawn from beneath the door 5. Thereupon, the door 5 falls to a closed position, and the animal is entrapped within the casing 1.

The animal proceeds from the platform 10 upon the second platform 16 and tilts the second platform 16 on its pivotal mounting 17. The second platform 16 engages lthe third platform 21 `and swings the platform 21 downwardly on 4its pivotal mounting 22. When the rear end of the third 'platform 21 swings downwardly, the link 26 tilts,1` the lever 23 on its fulcrum 24 and raises-the forward end of the lever 23, the`do'or 5 being raised, and the trigger 6 automatically engaging beneath the lower edge of the door 5, as shown in Fig. 1. As `soon as lthe animal has left the platform 16 and has trodden upon the platform 21, the platform 16 tilts on its fulcrum 17, due tothe presence of the counterweight 18, the rear endy of the platform 16 being swung into the elevated position shown in Fig. 2 of tliedrawing. The platform 16, therefore, tends to prevent an animal standing on the depressed platform 21, from passing backwardly out of the casing 1, after the lever 23r hasbeen tilted, by the action of the platform 21,"to restore the door 5 to the raised position of Fig. 1.

t has been found, as a matter of practice, that a cunning animal, standing onthe platform 21, when 'thelatter is depressed, as shown in dotted line inFig. 2,"willV reach upwardly and claw down the rear end of the platform .16,"from the'solidline Ypositionof Fig. 2', the animal thenbeing' free to leave the casing 1,l because, itwill be recalled, the door 5 has b'eenra'ised to ,the position of Fig. 1. vThe'foregoingy being understood, it may be statedthat one vobject,'ofitheI inven# tion is'` to prevent therear endof the A"platform 16V from being lcla'jv'ved d'own' as laforesaid. AThe Ymechanism for accomplishing "this-result willnow be described.'

l A Ushaped housing 31"p'rojects`l(aterally fram the Casing' i am is,` @enpeted thereto; A "Slot sa is ashamed in are Side waiiof was@ 1min @he Qbaaffffih'law ing 31. A detent 33, in theform of a particircular disk is located in the housing 31 and is mounted to swing on a pivot element 34 mounted at its ends in the side portions of the. housing 31.-

The detent 33 has an inclined edge The detent is so shaped that it tends normally to swing on the pivot element 34 until the edge projects into the casing 1, through thc slot 3.2, beneath the platform 21, the upper extremity of the detent 33 being retracted out of the way of the second platform 16. A projection 36 on the side of the detent 33 limits the extent to which the edge 35 projects 'through the s lot 3.2.

lhen the platform 21 swings downwardly when the animal treads thereon the platform 21 coperates with the inclined edge 35 of the detent`33 and swing the detent 33 on its pivotal mounting 34 untilI the upper end of the detent extends beneaththe inclined rear end of the platform 16. It will be obvious that while the animal is standing on the depressed platform 21, the'r'animal cannot reach up and claw rdown the rear end of the platform 16, because downward movement of the rear end of the platform 16 is prevented positively by the upper en/d of the detent 33 which has been advanced through ythe opening 32,`into vthe path of the platform 16.V Theanima'l leavestlie casing 1 through the exit opening 3,1and soon .as the animal steps off the'platform 21 and passes through'the opening 3, the parts arev restored to the Ipositions of Figs. 1`and3, the detent 33 swingingbeneath the platform 21 and the platform "21 beingraised' 1altlits rear end,` as shown in, Fig. 1', owing to the fact that so much of the "leyer lies in front of the ful'crum Qlshavrtha'that Portion f the leYGr 'Wheh liest@ hear of the fulcrum.' "l l It has been pointed out hereinbefore that the animaly leaves casing 12 `of the Opening a the animal proceedings@ a lateral extension, shown in ing one of the characteristic features of `the present invention. l 4 'l 'L The' 4ezferision,denoted by the numeral 37, is attachdto the Acasing lltand*includes an upwardly inclined portionl 3 8 liaviiifanapproirimatelyY horiaontahend 39, the bottom of the end member 39 being open,"as shown at 40'. An inner pla'tforrii L11 is pivotally supported intermediate its ends, as shown a aayfromthe sidewalls ofthe ad siember` 39 is`locate'd at'the juncture between the "'arts`38' and 39' of the lateral extension 37. @he 'A platform 41 yis counterweighted or otherwise constructed, asindi'ca'ted at 44, so

kthat the inner end of the said platform tends 43 carried by the bottom portion of the end member 39 and located at one end of the opening 40. An outer platform 45 is located in the end member 39 and is pivotally supported as shown at 46 on the side walls of the said end member. The inner end of the platform 45 extends beneath the upper end of the platform 4l. A slot 47 is fashioned in the outer end of the platform 45 and in the slot 47, a counterweight is adjustable. The counterweight may consist of a bolt 48 sliiftable in the slot 47, the bolt carrying a nut 49 which, when tightened up against the'platform 45 will hold the bolt 48 in any position to which it may have been adjusted in the slot 47.k The function of the shiftable weight 48-49 is to maintain the outer platform 45 poised on the pivot element 46.

The animal, advancing through the opening 3, moves upwardly along the inclined portion 38 of the extension and passes upon the platform 41 without suspicion, because that platform is in alinement with the bottom of the part 38. The platform 41 ultimately tilts, under the weight of the animal, into the dotted line position of F ig. 3. The animal advances readily on the poised outer platform 45, because no opening is visible beneath the platform, and as soon as the animal overbalances the platform 45, the animal is dumped downwardly through the opening 40. In practical operation, the opening is disposed above a receptacle of anykind, such as a butt or the like.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is In a device of the class described, a casing having an entrance; a door controlling the entrance; a trigger cooperating with the door to hold the door open; a first platform pivotally supported on the casing, the platform and the trigger having interengaged parts coacting to retract the trigger from the door; a third platform pivotally supported in the casing; means connected with the third platform and with the door for opening the door; a second platform pivotally supported in the casing between the first and third platforms, the second platform 'comprising an upwardly extended part forming a barrier preventing retreat from the third platform; and a detent on the casing, the detent being operated by the third platform, when the third platform is depressed, to engage the second platform and to prevent a depression of said upwardly extended part of the second platform. p

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH FRITS'CH.

jaw, a box, a water Witnesses:

W. T. ODLIN, A. H. BINGHAM. 

